Bryant, who retired after the 2015-16 season, became the first player in NBA history to play 20 years with one franchise — the Los Angeles Lakers.

Now he’s one of two players to accomplish the feat.

“Twenty years with one franchise is special,” Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki said. “Especially these days with it being a business, it’s a tough thing to do, and any time you’re mentioned with Kobe, it can never be a bad thing.”

Never miss a local story.

Sign up today for a free 30 day free trial of unlimited digital access.

Nowitzki enters his 20th year with the Mavericks, something he could never imagine during the 1998 lockout season. He averaged 8.2 points on 40.5 percent shooting and 20.4 minutes per game during that season.

“As a rookie, I really didn’t have that much fun,” Nowitzki said. “I was more anxious and nervous, and didn’t know if I was going to make it in this league.”

Back to present time and the “Tall Baller from the G” owns nearly every franchise record. He ranks sixth in all-time scoring with 30,260 points, and is 1,160 points away from passing Wilt Chamberlain for fifth.

“It’s been an amazing run, and he’s left the door open that it could go beyond this year, which is great to hear,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “The amount of work he’s put in playing at this level and period of time, it’s almost impossible for most people to fathom. It’s one of the reasons I have such great respect for who he is and what he stands for.”

Last season, Nowitzki dealt with a strained Achilles tendon. He averaged 14.2 points in 54 games played.

Nowitzki still scored his 30,000th point and moved into the top 10 in career field goals made.

“He continues to have fun with this,” Carlisle said. “He’s a guy that loves the work and the process involved with getting ready to play.”

Nowitzki was the 2006-07 NBA MVP and 2011 Finals MVP after helping the Mavericks win their first and only NBA championship.

“Means everything and I’ll never forget that year and the bond with those guys,” said Nowitzki, who averaged 26 points and 9.7 rebounds against the Miami Heat during the Finals. “To start the season under the radar and end up being the best team still standing, it’s something I’ll always remember.”

But there have been lows: the 2006 Finals, 2007 against Golden State and all of the first-round exits.

“I don’t care if it’s with one franchise or anywhere, 20 seasons is a long time and getting to this goal means you’ve been fortunate,” Nowitzki said. “I’m happy it worked out in one place and I wouldn’t want it to be anywhere else. The city has embraced me since the beginning.

“Mark [Cuban] bought the team in my second season and just the relationship with him is a big part on why I’ve been here so long. He made the decision to make me the franchise player and stuck with me through a lot of disappointments. I love it here, my family loves it here and that’s a big reason why I made it to 20.”